Apparatus for capping



(No Model.)

L. SONNTAG.

APPARATUS FOR OAPPING, UNGAPPING, AND LOADING CARTRIDGE SHELLS. No. 264,204. Patented Sept. 12, 1882.

2 2/ Q VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LINCOLN SONN'JIAG, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR CAPBING, UNCAPPING, AND LOADLNG CARl'RlDGE-SHELI.S.

SPEOIFIUATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 2 64,204, dated September 12, 1882.

Application died January 16, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LINCOLN SONfiTAG, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Apparatus for Crimping, Oapping, Loading, and

Decapping Cartridge-Shells, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description thereof.

My invention relates to an apparatus for performing the work of crimping, capping,

loading, and decapping cartridge-shells.

lt consists of a holder for the cap and shell, a lever by which. the cap is seated, a block for seating the bullet after the powder has been introduced into the shell, a movable post with a pin which may be brought beneath the lever after thedischarged shell has been placed upon it, so that bypres'sing down upon the lever the is a plan of spring-case, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of crimper.

A is a bed of metal or wood, and ot' snflicient size to receive the attachments to be used. From the ends of this bed standards B extend up to a suflicient height to support a table, 0, which extends above the bed the entire length.

' The central portion of this table is cut away for a considerable part of its length to admit the long arm D of a lever, which is bent at right angles just at the fulcrum, so that the short arm D extends beneath that part of the table which is not cut away. This portion of the leverop'erates the copper, as follows: Upon the table the two halves E of a cylindrical case are placed, being hinged or titted to open from one side to admit a cartridge-shell, F, with the flange or head downward. A groove is formed around the bottom of these semi-cylinders, into which the-flange of the shell fits when the halves are closed together. The case E is,high enough to inclose a shell, the top being open so as to allow the powder and bullet to be introduced at the proper time. Below the center of this lunged case a hole is made through the table, and below this is a block of sufficient depth havinga corresponding hole, so as to receive a plunger, G. The lower post is contracted at H, and the stem 1 of the plunger passes out through this contracted opening, which is too small to allow the plunger-head to pass. The head J of the plunger is acted upon by the lever-arm D, so as to force the plunger up when desired.

When a cartridgeis to be capped and loaded the segmental case E is opened, a cap'is dropped into the hole in the table, so as tolie upon the plunger. The case is then closed and secured by a hook, K, or other fastening, when the rim or flange of the shell will be held in the grooves before described. The outer end, D, of the lever is then pressed down,and the arm D presses the plunger up and forces the cap to its seat, the flange preventing the shell from being forced up. The powder is measured in the usual mannerand poured into the shell through the opening at the top of the case E. The bullet may then. be introduced, and is seated by means of the block L. This block moves loosely up and down upon two guides, M, which may also serve as hingepins for the halves .E of the cylinder. A knob or head, N,at the top of one'of these guides prevents the block from being slipped 0E. The other guide-rod is shorter, and the top of the block has an inclined surface, or is otherwise adapted to receive a stop-plate, O, which is so hinged that it will stand at one side of the guide-rod until the block has been raised above its end. This plate then turns or slides upon the incline, so as to lie above the end of the rod. and thus prevent the block L from slipping down until it is required. 'When the bullet has been introduced into the shell the.

stop-plate is. turned to one side or withdrawn, so as to permit the block to slide down and rest upon the end of the bullet. The block has a concavity in its lower surface to flt'the end of the bullet, and when it rests upon the bullet a blow with a mallet will seat the bullet to the proper depth, after which the block L may be raised, the case E opened, and the cartridge removed. The lever-arm D is elevated after each depression by a spiral spring,

,1,- working within a case, Q, beneath the lever and guided by the rods R,.which move vertically incorrespondin g holes in the case on each Bld6 of the spring." After a cartridge has been discharged and cleaned its open end is critnped hyforcing it into the crimping-cylinder S, the bottom of which is contracted for the purpose, as shown.

The cap is removed from the shell by invert-' 'lever is pressed down the cap will be forced out through the hole W.

By moving the slideV the crimper is brought beneath the lever, and pressure upon the latter forces the shell into the crimper, so as to contract its mouth to suit.

By this construction I provide a neat, compact, single apparatus, which will do all the work hitherto accomplished by a number of tools..

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cylinder composed of the two halves E E, opening upon the hinges or pin M, and grooved at the bottom to receive the flange of a shell, in combination with the plunger G. steni I,and head J, and the lever D D, all mpunted and operating together substantially as herein described. v

2. The shell-holding cylinder composed of the halves E E, hinged as shown,in combinat ion with the block L, fitted upon the vertical guides M, and having the swinging or sliding stop-plate O, substantially as and for the pur-" pose herein described.

' 3. The base A and the table 0, having the bent lever D pivoted to it, and the spring P, as shown, in combination with the transverse slide V, having the cylinder S, and the postor standard '1, with its pin U, mounted upon the slide, so that either the cylinder or the post may be brought beneath the lever, substantially as herein described.

4. In a cartridge apparatus, the cylinder E, 55 the cylinder S, and the post '1, with its pin U, in combination with the single bent lever having the arms D D, the table 0, and base A, all combined and operating substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

LINCOLN SONN'IAG.

Witnesses:

DONALD S. MAOKAY, WILLIAM HARNEY. 

